EFFINGHAM — Not one starter had a bad night.
Everyone contributed for the St. Anthony softball team in its 14-1 win over Teutopolis in the annual Cross Creek Classic Friday night at Evergreen Hollow Park. The win marked the third successive year that the Bulldogs bested the Lady Shoes.
“It’s fun because it’s a fun rivalry,” St. Anthony head coach Makayla Taylor said. “Good competition. It’s the game we always look forward to every year and you get a plaque at the end of it, so I think everyone looks forward to it.”
“It was cool winning our third straight (Cross Creek Classic),” Sydney Kibler added. “We were looking at the (trophy) and we’ve only won one time besides the past three, so we’re still behind in wins, but getting back-to-back-to-back is crazy and playing with the group of seniors for the last time is sad.”
The Bulldogs scored five runs in the first inning.
Adysen Rios worked a walk to open the frame. Addie Wernsing then hit a single and Rios scored on an RBI single from Hailey Niebrugge.
Abbi Hatton then drove in Wernising with an RBI double. Maddie Kibler followed with a walk and Niebrugge scored after Stacie Vonderheide hit a sacrifice fly.
Hatton then scored on a passed ball and courtesy runner Lilly Gannaway came across after an RBI single by Laney Coffin.
“That’s our game plan every time,” said Taylor of her team’s fast start. “We want to start off early, get some runs, because weather permitting, I want to make sure we secure a couple runs. We did a really good job of that and then got a little complacent there in the last couple of innings, but overall, I think we did a good job today.”
St. Anthony plated four more in the fourth.
Rios opened that frame with a base hit. Wernsing drew a walk and Hatton hit an RBI single, scoring Rios.
Maddie Kibler followed with a double, plating Wernsing and Hatton and Kibler then scored on an RBI single by Vonderheide.
The Lady Shoes (12-13) scored their only run in the bottom half of the frame.
Chloe Hoene reached first on an error. Mallory Bloemer then hit a ground out, pushing Kera Hartke – the courtesy runner – to second base and CJ Apke hit an RBI single, scoring Hartke.
The Bulldogs eventually got that run back, and then some, scoring five in the seventh.
Hatton, Maddie Kibler and Vonderheide finished three hits.
Coffin, Rios and Wernsing had two and Niebrugge, Sydney Kibler and Julia Schultz had one.
“Our lineup is so sneaky,” Taylor said. “Anyone in this lineup can hit and one day, one girl’s going to be on fire and the next day, you’re going to have someone else.”
Sydney Kibler and Wernsing pitched four and three innings, respectively.
Kibler allowed one hit and three walks to five strikeouts. Wernsing allowed one hit and one walk to two strikeouts.
“Sometimes, in this weather, it can get a little sticky, but she did a great job,” said Taylor of Kibler. “I love the combination we have of Sydney starting and Addie coming in and closing — I think it’s a good combination. It’s working for us right now and I’m going to stick with it.”
Olivia Copple and Apke had the lone hits for Teutopolis.
Alyssa Tipton and Olivia Hemmen pitched. Tipton allowed 10 hits, nine runs and three walks to four strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. Hemmen allowed eight hits, five runs and one walk in one strikeout in 3 1/3 innings.